Monsters created by kids take over Portland Children's Museum gallery

The monsters that lurk in children's imaginations aren't always scary.

At a new art exhibit at the Portland Children's Museum featuring monsters designed by children, one monster looks like a walking parallelogram with multiple eyes. One has a cheery upturned mustache, a pompadour and benign red tentacles. One is covered in numbers and nicknamed "Einstein."

The monsters came into being with the help of the museum's latest artist-in-residence, Gesine Kratzner. An illustrator and animator whose portfolio includes work for Aardman, BBC, Will Vinton Studios, Crayola, Puget Sound Energy and others, Kratzner spent April through June encouraging young museum visitors to design monsters for an exhibit she dubbed "Monster Island."

"Gesine Kratzner was selected for the residency program for her inquisitiveness, her view of children as intelligent and creative collaborators, and for her long history of artistic professionalism," Jess Graff, the museum's residency manager, said by email. "We've really enjoyed being a part of her process."

On selected days, Kratzner laid out paper, markers and watercolors in a small studio in the museum's east wing. Children could draw or paint whatever they wanted; Kraztner said she considers monsters a "flexible concept." She photocopied the resulting drawings and paintings, then used wire and papier-mache to create wall sculptures.

"We'll also be making rocks and volcanoes and at the end of it all we're going to fill the exhibition space at the children's museum and have a whole Monster Island for everybody to visit," Kratzner said in April, shortly after the start of her residency. "I've already got on Day 3 some fantastic monsters."

The resulting monsters range from creatures small enough to fit in Kratzner's palm to beings so big they stretch over several feet.

The museum will hold a free opening reception for Kratzner from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 29 in the museum gallery, to the right of the main entrance.

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Gesine Kratzner, "Monster Island"

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Friday, June 30. The exhibit has no official closing date; it will be up between three and six months.

Where: Portland Children's Museum, 4015 S.W. Canyon Road

Admission: $10.75 for ages 1 through 54, $9.75 for ages 55 and older and military personnel, free for infants under 1, free for all from 4 to 8 p.m. on the first Friday of each month; portlandcm.org or 503-223-6500